Monocyte-derived Langerhans cell-like dendritic cells （Mo-LCs） are involved in epidermal disorders such as psoriasis in murine models. However, the roles of Mo-LCs in the pathogenesis of psoriasis in humans remain unclear. Also, the contribution of notch ligand delta-like 1 （DLL-1）, expressed on keratinocytes, to Mo-LC functions requires clarification. Here, we established a new method of stimulating Mo-LCs derived from CD14^＋ monocytes with immobilized human DLL-1 to generate induced Mo-LCs （DI（＋）Mo-LCs）. The DI（＋）Mo-LCs were compared to the dendritic cells derived from monocytes （Mo-DCs） cultured with interleukin-4 （IL-4） and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor （GM-CSF）, and M1 macrophages （Mφ） derived from monocytes cultured with GM-CSF. The DI（＋）Mo-LCs were found to produce significant amounts of IL15, IL23A, and interferon-β （IFNB1） in response to the Toll-like receptor （TLR）3 agonist Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid （Poly（I:C）） or TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide （LPS） despite their low expression of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）. In conclusion, we have established a new method to generate DI（＋）Mo-LCs. We have also discovered that DI（＋）Mo-LCs have a unique capacity for producing IL15 and IL23A, which are related to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Our data contribute to a better understanding of the roles of Mo-LCs in epidermal defense and pathogenesis.

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The purpose of this study was to establish a screening method for dysphagia using panoramic radiography. Seventy patients who had undergone panoramic radiography and videofluorographic swallowing study（VF）were selected. Exclusion criteria were surgery related to tumors, jaw deformity, and poor-quality panoramic radiograph images. Patients were diagnosed with dysphagia based on VF findings and accordingly categorized into Dysphagia（＋）or Dysphagia（−）groups. The control group consisted of 129 individuals who had undergone panoramic radiography for dental treatment. Exclusion criteria were the same as in the Dysphagia（＋）and Dysphagia（−）groups. Two maxillofacial radiologists assessed the vertical and horizontal position of the hyoid bone and measured the distance from the tongue to the palate. The vertical hyoid bone position was significantly lower in the Dysphagia（＋）group than in the control group. The distance from the tongue to the palate was significantly shorter in the control group, measuring 8.5±5.9mm as compared to 15.0±9.5 in the Dysphagia（＋）group and 14.9±10.0 in the Dysphagia（−）group. At least 77％ of patients were diagnosed with dysphagia or suspected of dysphagia because the hyoid body was below the mandibular line on panoramic radiography. Panoramic radiography may be a useful tool for predicting the risk of dysphagia as it reveals the vertical hyoid bone position and the distance from the tongue to the palate.

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When fixing an oral implant superstructure with a screw, operators must be aware of the torque being applied by their fingers to prevent the transmission of excessive or insufficient torque to the implant. In this study, we identified the factors that determine individual maximum attainable torque and those that determine the achievement of the prescribed torque. We evaluated 16 dentists on their use of two types of manual implant drivers（UniGrip by Nobel Biocare and Carrier Hex by Zimmer Biomet）and measured the maximum torque（MT）generated by their fingers. The target torque was set at 15N. Measurements were taken while the participants were turning the implant screw with or without gloves in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The grip and finger strength of each participant were measured, and the data showed that torque values were higher among the male participants during clockwise rotation and when they were wearing gloves（p＜0.05）. Positive correlations were found between the MT and grip strength and between the MT and finger strength. These results suggest that dentists should monitor their ability to consistently achieve the recommended torque for implant drivers.

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Computational fluid dynamics （CFD） analysis is useful for quantitative assessment in patients with upper airway obstructions. We compared CFD analysis with rhinomanometry （RM） and acoustic rhinometry （AR）. Twenty patients with nasal and paranasal diseases who required computed tomography assessment underwent RM and AR. We measured the pressure and velocity at four parts of the upper airway using CFD analysis. Then we evaluated the correlation among CFD analysis, RM, and AR. CFD analysis detected obstruction sites in the nasal airway and pharynx in 14 and 2patients, respectively. High negative pressure accompanied the nasal obstruction, even behind the nasal cavity. Nasal airway pressure measured using CFD analysis strongly correlated with nasal resistance in RM （Spearman correlation coefficient＝0.853）. CFD analysis’s sensitivity and specificity to detect the obstruction were 84.6％ and 57.1％, respectively （compared to those of RM） and 83.3％ and 50.0％, respectively （compared to those of AR）. The CFD analysis’s ability to detect obstruction was comparable to that of RM and AR; therefore, it may help evaluate the upper airways in patients with nasal and paranasal diseases. We found impaired nasal ventilation also affected other parts of the upper airway. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to validate the use of CFD analysis for assessing the degree of upper airway ventilation disorders.

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